I'm not sure there is a better culinary creation than the cheeseburger.  Of course, the history behind this food favorite is a bit complicated, with many claiming they were the first to invent it, all I know is, thank heavens someone did.

The great thing about cheeseburgers is the possibilities are endless, so for us to rank the best cheeseburgers in Montana, well, that would be difficult, so that's why we decided to use 5 different categories.

  • Traditional
  • Messy
  • Fancy
  • Unique
  • Over-the-Top
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Believe me, this was no easy task, as Montanans love their burgers and there are countless places to get great cheeseburgers across the state, so while you might not agree 100 percent with the list, I would love to hear where you think I went wrong.

Traditional

First, let's start off with a good old-fashioned cheeseburger. When I think of a great traditional cheeseburger, I think of Mark's In & Out in Livingston.  For 70 years, folks have been lining up outside of Mark's to get their cheeseburger fix and with good reason, they're simply delicious. Plus, Mark's In & Out has all of the other classic Drive-In items like chili dogs, onion rings, rootbeer floats, malts, and shakes. The food is great, and it's like a culinary time machine.

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Credit: Canva
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Messy

For some folks, a messy burger might be a little too much, but I love them.  I'm talking about the kind of cheeseburger that is dripping all over the plate, your hands, and possibly your shirt. I've had a lot of burgers here in Montana, but the best messy burger I've had came from The Fainting Goat in downtown Livingston. The All That And An Egg Burgers are amazing.  You get a burger, with Guinness cheese spread, an over-easy fried egg, plus some healthy things like greens.  It's a total mess, and it's absolutely delicious.

Credit: Canva
Credit: Canva
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Fancy

So what's a fancy cheeseburger?  It's a cheeseburger that comes with a topping that might not be considered traditional and are a little more gourmet. The best fancy cheeseburger I've had is located in Bozeman at Shred Monk.  Their Smash Burger will put you in a delightful food coma. The burger comes on a terrific potato bread bun with a homemade relish, dijonnaise, cheese, onion, and grass-fed beef. I promise you, you will love this cheeseburger.

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Credit: Canva
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Unique

When you think of a unique cheeseburger, you think of something...well, unique.  A burger that you're not going to find anywhere else, and Montana has just the place that offers up such burgers. The Burger Dive in Billings is home to a couple of "World Champion" burgers, including the "I'm Your Huckleberry Burger".  The burger is covered in huckleberry hatch chili bar b q sauce, bacon, goat cheese, plus roasted red pepper mayo. The Burger Dive has a whole menu of unique burgers and you will find something you love.

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Credit: Canva
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Over-The-Top

For those looking for the perfect over-the-top cheeseburger, I would suggest you jump in your car and head over to Drummond, Montana and check out Parker's Restaurant.  Parker's has over 130 different burgers and some of these are just totally over-the-top, including the Piggy Back Burger.  So, what's a Piggy Back Burger?  Well, it's a loaded giant cheeseburger with a smaller loaded cheeseburger on top of it. Plus, let's be honest with that many options, you're going to find something that hits the spot.

Credit: Canva
Credit: Canva
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Of course, there are many more places across Montana that have excellent cheeseburgers and as mentioned above, as someone who loves a good burger, I want to hear from you and where you go to get your favorite cheeseburger. Let me know by sending me a message on the radio station app.

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